The Chinese Football Association (CFA) is reportedly contemplating on making amends the Chinese Super League's policy with regards to reducing the allowable limit of foreign players to be the same in each team.

The CFA is thinking of adopoting a policy of one international player per team. The new rule ismay be scheduled for implementation by 2018, GB Times reported.

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Chinese teams are currently allowed to hire four non-Asian internationals and one Asian foreigner. In the future, the CFA reportedly aims to reduce it to three non-Asians and one Asian national. Reports indicate that the policy is still under deliberation by the top officials of the Chinese football governing body.

According to the current rules, a maximum of only three non-Asian imports can take the field at the same time. Another non-Asian player can act as a substitute to any of the three foreigners. It is not immediately clear if the maximum on-pitch import rule will be affected by the rules amendment.

The recent developments reportedly caught CSL clubs by surprise as initial rumors said the number of allowable non-Asian imports were actually about to increase next season.

"A CFA official did not give an exact time scale for changing the CSL foreign player quota rule and said the idea was still being discussed," Wild East Football reported. "The final details of the plan are yet to be fixed."

It was also said that since the AFC Champions League only allows three non-Asian and one Asian foreigner, the rule change also intends to streamline the process of choosing imports by CSL squads to compete in the regional tournament.

"Another aspect of the rule change would be that it would give CSL teams who are competing in the ACL one less thing to worry about as they would not have to think about which foreigner to drop for their ACL squad," the report said.

TagsChina Football, Chinese Super League, Chinese Super League news, Chinese Football Association, Chinese Football Association news